Page 111 of Raging Inferno

He pushed open the door and stepped across the threshold. “What do you think you’re doing, Dr. Anders?”

The doctor shrieked and swung the gun at him. He held up his arms to show he wasn’t armed, relieved when a bullet didn’t pierce his skin.

Rena spun around and gasped. “Captain Bianchi. What are you doing here?” She ran to him with hands clasped before her as if praying. “You have to leave, Captain,” Rena fretted. “Please. Go now. You can’t be here.”

“I’m in and ready,”Kayne said.“Keep them engaged.”

“I’m not going to do that, Rena. I know you set the fires that killed four people.”

Rena clutched her head. “No, no, no. You can’t know that.”

“Stop moving!” Val ordered. He’d been inching his way closer to Presley. “Keep your hands up. Rena, check him for weapons and tie him up.”

Rena’s arms dropped. “No, Val. I can’t do that. He’s my captain.”

Val aimed the gun at Rena. “I don’t care. I said do it now.”

“No.”

“Fine. I’ll take care of him.”

The gun swung toward him. Everything happened in slow motion. A shot rang out, and he prepared for the hit. Instead, a good portion of Dr. Anders’s head exploded into a fine red mist. He dove for Presley, but Rena was closer. She snaked an arm around her neck and dragged her out of the chair, causing it to crash to the floor. Rena backed up until she hit the wall. She’d produced a knife, which she held to Presley’s carotid artery.Dom froze. If she so much as nicked it, Presley would bleed out in a matter of minutes.

Rena used Presley as a shield. It would be too risky for Kayne to take a shot.

“Who’s there?” she called out. “Who shot Val? Come out with your hands in the air.”

While Kayne walked out, Dom watched Presley. One of her hands was free. Instead of grasping the forearm around her neck, she slowly inched it in front of herself.

“Oh, damn, it’s you. The hot guy,” Rena griped. “I planned on returning to the gala to seduce you.”

Dom needed to keep her talking so Presley could do whatever she planned. “I thought Val Anders was your lover?”

“She’s one of them. I’m pansexual. I enjoy both men and women.”

“You’re outnumbered,” Kayne pointed out. “Surrender now and you won’t get hurt.”

Her head snapped back and forth between him and Kayne. “Both of you, stay where you are!”

“You have to know this isn’t going to end well for you, Rena,” Dominic told her. “Give me the knife and let Presley go. I need you on my crew.” That lie almost clogged in his throat. “You don’t want to lose your firefighting career, do you?”

The hand holding the knife to Presley’s throat slackened, giving Presley the opening she needed. She reached between her legs, lifted the gun that had been strapped to her thigh, and pulled the trigger. Rena roared in pain, then reached up and, with both hands, slammed the knife into Presley’s chest.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dominic’s heart stopped when he saw Rena stab Presley. They crumpled to the floor in a heap, with Rena sobbing and Presley in shock. Presley grasped the handle of the knife. Dom slid like a runner stealing second base beside her and clutched her wrist.

“I know it hurts, honey, but don’t pull it out. You need to leave it there.” It was plugging the wound. If she removed it, she might bleed out.

Her frantic eyes locked with his, her breathing labored. A lung had definitely been punctured. He prayed the blade had missed her heart. He ripped off the Kevlar vest and removed his shirt, wrapping it around the knife to keep pressure on the injury.

Kayne dropped beside them. “Hey, Presley. I removed the stents from Jessie and Tamera. Ambulances are on the way. Dominic and I are going to move you, okay?”

She nodded and tried to help. “No, let us do the work,” Dominic ordered.

“Help me, Captain! I’ve been shot.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rena clutching her bleeding leg, but he didn’t spare her a glance. She was a cold-blooded murderer and had injured Presley. Frankly, he was proud of himself for not going over there and stomping on her face.

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